All Together Again

We spent an amazing, exhausting 12 days together in Korea and China.  It was the best way to reconnect with each other, get to know Josh again, and have him get to know us.  We took family pics at SOO many places!  Here's a sample:

Seoul Korea Temple - this was just minutes after we first saw each other.

Buddhist temple at Mt. Mai in Korea.

Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.

Border of North and South Korea in DMZ.

Great Wall of China.

Forbidden City and Tiananman Square in Beijing China.

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.

Countdown

Just 20 days until I see this cute son of mine.  I....can't....wait!

What Good Dads Do

Read you books

Coach your basketball team

Carry you when you're too tired to walk

Name and bless you

Go on the wild roller coaster rides with you

Build your race car set on Christmas Day

Get a big belly when you get one

Have picnics and watch movies in the living room

Take you trick-or-treating

Teach you to water ski

Work hard to provide for you

Take you to BYU football games

Miss you when you go away

Celebrate your successes

Mourn when you mourn

Show you that you can do hard things

Wrestle and tease you

Show you the value of a good nap

Love your mom

Love your children

I love you, Dad!

I love you, David!

Mom

I love and miss you so much, Mom.

Happy Birthday to my babies!

We've had some pretty important birthdays these last 6 weeks.  One of my girls hit adulthood, another can now drive and date, and the third can go to youth conference and EFY and dances!  Good times.

Jenna turns 18!  

Alissa turns 14!

Kellie turns 16!

Trying to be like Jesus

I wanted to share an experience that Katie and I had last week.  We were driving into Costco and saw a man standing on the corner with a sign – one of those “please help” signs.  It was a bitterly cold day, probably 8 degrees, and Katie immediately saw him and was concerned.

“Can we help him, Mom?  You have a dollar in your purse.  Can we give it to him?”

I agreed that she could take my dollar and give it to the man on our way out.  The entire time we were in Costco, she talked about the man and how sad it was that he was there and would anyone else help him and give him money.  She also repeated a couple of times that she knew Grandpa would give him money. J

On our way out, we pulled up to the man and she rolled down her window and handed him the dollar.  He took it and said, “God bless you” and we pulled away.

 

“Why did he say ‘God bless you’, Mom?”

“He is thankful that you helped him, Katie, and he wants Heavenly Father to bless you for being kind.”

Her eye welled up with tears and she asked me a multitude of questions. Is there a place he can go to get out of the cold?  How far is it?  Will he have to walk there?  Will someone drive him?  She could not let it go and I was struck by the depth of the compassion that she had in her heart. It was a good rebuke for me to realize that I can be kinder and more aware of and compassionate toward my fellow men. 

A couple of days later, we were talking about it and Katie said, “Do you know why I was so worried about that man, Mom?”  “Why?” I asked.  “Because I thought how I would feel if that was me.”  At the tender age of 11, she already knows how to mourn with those that mourn and to feel the afflictions of another that she may succor them in their need.  

The List

Last night at my birthday dinner, we created a list of things our girls should keep in mind when looking for a potential mate.  It started because we were discussing how people in love lose all sense of reason and do crazy things.   It got a little humorous, but there's some good stuff in there, too.  It is titled....


Qualities In A Guy:  For When We Fall In Love and Lose Our Minds

Honest
Tall
Funny
Handsome
In college working for a degree
Athletic
Someone to talk to for hours
NON-gamer (as in video games)
Return Missionary!!!!
Has a job
Worthy priesthood holder
Supports you in college goals
Football!!!  Non-Utah fan - it's gotta be BYU
Knows how to work hard and make goals (finisher)
Negative blood type  (to avoid those nasty RhoGAM shots when you're pregnant)
Gentleman
Active
Loves his Momma
Baller (as in basketball)
Supportive
Drives a car (not sure where that came from)
Respects your opinion and as a woman
Loves kids
Chef
Willingly serves in callings
Bitter ender (hangs in there when times get tough)
Not prideful
Wants to get married in temple
Respects and likes your parents
Appreciates your wit
Smart
Someone who treats me like my parents treat each other
Not a loser

Here's hoping they keep at least a few of these in mind when the love bug strikes. :)